Tanzhe Temple - Jietai Temple - Buddhist Cliff Figures of ShiFo Village

  
The famous Tanzhe and Jietai temples are located about 30kms from the city center. You can get there on bus No. 931 from the Apple Garden subway station. We suggest you leave in the morning and go to Tanzhe Temple first, where you can buy a combined ticket at CNY60.00 per person. If you buy the tickets for the two temples separately, it is CNY35.00 per ticket.

Jietai Temple

Tanzhe Temple's history spans 1,700 years and it is the largest complex of old temples in the Beijing suburban area. It is said that Tanzhe Temple was built even before Beijing City was founded. Originally, there were 999 and a half rooms in the Temple. Even now, after all these years, there are still 943 rooms, with 638 rooms remaining from the early years. The Forbidden City was designed and built following the style of Tanzhe Temple but on a larger scale with 9,999 and a half rooms.

All the attractions of Tanzhe Temple are located close to each other, making it very easy for you to visit on foot. At the entrance to the temple, the first sight is that of Tianwang Hall, dedicated to worshipping Maitreya Buddha. Behind it is the Great Hall, where stands a statue of the magnificent Buddha, Sakyamuni. Continuing your walk along the central route, you will see two Ginkgo and two Sal trees which were part of the Three Religion's Hall, now destroyed. Beyond that is the 2-storey Pilu Pavilion, one of the six pagodas in Beijing. Kuanyin Hall is located just to the northwest of Pilu Pavilion and it is the highest hall in the temple. The elevated view from the top is quite amazing. On the west side of the hall lies a stone fish. Legend tells us that one can be cured by touching the fish, as it was a gift from the Jade Emperor in heaven. The last stop is Pagoda Forest – made up of many Buddhist Temples and the burial site of Buddhist monks. Now only 75 pagodas from the Jin, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties are preserved. It is the largest and most complete pagoda forest existing near Beijing, and people travel from all over the country to worship and show their devotion at this site. Tanzhe Temple is also famous for its purple Magnolia, which attracts many visitors every March.

At lunch time, you may want to try the vegetarian food in the temple, a healthy alternative to the greasy food found elsewhere.

Statues in Stone Buddha Village, Beijing

Tanzhe Temple is the last stop of bus No. 931. To get to Jietai Temple, you will need to take the returning bus. Jietai Temple was first built during the Sui Dynasty and is one of the oldest royal temples in Beijing with more than 1,400 years of history. Jietai Temple is mostly famous for its “Jietai” which is the largest one in the country. “Jietai” is a place where disciples are initiated into monkhood. The one at Jeitai Temple can grant the highest Buddhist commandment which makes it one of the highest Buddhist educational institutions in the country. It is also surrounded by the most beautiful natural scenery, making it a great place to relax during the holidays.

If you have any time left, you can continue your journey southeast to Shifo village, which is famous for the Buddha Stone Inscriptions and is also the only site containing stone inscriptions in the Beijing area. From Jietai Temple, we suggest you take a taxi for the 4-km ride to the village. There are 18 niches of Buddha statues on the north cliff and a grotto in the south end of the village. The statues are believed to have been created during the Ming Dynasty.

To get back to town, you can take bus No. 931. But for your information, the last bus departs at 17:30.